From playoff fever to summer showdowns, it’s the season of coming together. This series dives into the bars across Canada where sports aren’t just watched – they’re felt, shared and celebrated with full hearts. In these unforgettable spaces, the screens glow, the drinks flow and every seat has a story.
Just a slapshot away from Rogers Place, Kelly’s Pub has become more than a pre-game pit stop – it’s a second home for Oilers fans and lovers of other sports alike.
With its 20-ounce pints, Irish charm and a clientele that feels more like family, Kelly’s has spent 13 years crafting the rare kind of loyalty that can’t be bought or branded.
That loyalty is especially evident this spring. As the Oilers marched into the second round of the NHL playoffs, the energy at Kelly’s has been palpable. Fans are riding high on a team that came back in round one to beat the Kings and face the Golden Knights, and the pub has become one of downtown Edmonton’s most spirited rally points.
Spencer Green drops by Kelly’s two or three times a week. It’s the welcoming atmosphere that keeps him coming back. “You feel very comfortable coming in here,” he says, crediting both the local regulars and the staff.
He singles out longtime employee Scott Krebes. “He’s one of the best bartenders I’ve ever experienced in my life. Scott is hilarious.”
Krebes calls himself “the guy that does everything.” From bartending and serving, to programming TVs and cooking, he says he does “whatever it takes to get the job done.”
So many familiar faces pop into Kelly’s that Krebes jokes that “I see some people here more than I see my wife.”
The first iteration of Kelly’s opened on Jasper Avenue in 2001. Owner Kelly Smart moved to the current location on 104 Street NW in 2012, at a time when there was no arena (it opened four years later) and not much else. Now, Kelly’s is one of the longest-standing tenants on the block.
The pub, which seats 152, has 18 TVs inside and adds two more to its 60-seat patio during the summer. The interior leans into its Irish character with its dark wood, brick walls and vintage photos on the walls. Flags from around the world hang from the ceiling, adding to the pub’s eclectic vibe.
The proximity to Rogers Place means a steady stream of Oilers devotees, but there’s always room for other fans.
“When there’s a Maple Leafs game on, this bar is probably half and half Oilers and Maple Leafs. I hate it, but it happens. Maple Leaf fans do travel,” says Krebes.
Still, hockey is far from the only draw. “We do every sport,” he says. “Right now I’ve got baseball, golf and sports talk all on different screens.”
When hockey season ends, the crowds continue. “We have such great regulars,” Krebes says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s playoffs or July, we’re still busy.”
The economical beers are another draw. “Hands down, we have the cheapest pints in the city, $6.75, which is unreal for a 20-ounce pint,” says Krebes.
Nearby at the bar, Green notes that he’s a red wine drinker. “I’ve got a glass of Malbec in front of me right now. And that’s the other thing – they actually have decent wine here for a pub-slash-sports bar.”
Krebes says the friendly vibe isn’t just felt by customers, but by the staff too. He has become friends with many regulars, golfing with them or going to a baseball game together. “If I don’t see someone, I text them. I bet about 45 regulars have my cell number.”
That’s unusual, but it’s one of the reasons that Krebes likens Kelly’s Pub to TV’s most iconic sports bar.
“I always call this place Cheers,” he says. “There are a few hotels around us, and the hotel staff always send guests here. They’re like, ‘You can go sit at the bar by yourself and you’ll meet five, six, seven people.’”
